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A CONGRESSWOMAN has been blasted by critics for falling asleep in the middle of a Congress meeting.
Debbie Dingell, 71, was hit with backlash over her nap at a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting but she insisted Republicans were to blame.
The congresswoman, a Democrat representing Michigan, was seen dozing off in a video surrounded by three bottled beverages in a video posted by a reporter for The Spectator on Wednesday.
“Rep Deb Dingell is asleep,” he wrote as he zoomed in to show her eyes completely closed.
The lawmaker was blasted by critics, who labeled her an “absolute joke” for falling asleep on the job.
“WTF?! Democrat Rep. Debbie Dingell is literally ASLEEP in a committee hearing this morning,” one person posted on X.
“Congress is an absolute joke.”
Another person wrote, “On our tax dollar – disgraceful!”
Dingell didn’t seem to take too much offense at the comments as she snapped back with her own post on X.
“Been up for 31 hours straight fighting Republicans trying to gut Medicaid,” she wrote.
“Closed my eyes to think about an America where everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.”
SNOOZEFEST
Dingell wasn’t the only politician who was overtaken by tiredness during the meeting, which started at 2 pm on Tuesday and didn’t finish until Wednesday morning.
Illinois Democratic representative Jan Schakowsky and Utah Republican representative Blake Moore also took a brief snooze.
Schakowsky, 80, could be seen napping in the corner of a video as a lawmaker was speaking right next to her.
In another video, Moore, 44, is seen being lightly shaken awake by a colleague after missing a question.
“This is why they never get anything done,” one X user wrote.
The meeting in Washington, DC, was about Donald Trump’s new tax bill, which aims to cut $5 trillion in government costs.
The bill would also remove tax on tips, Social Security income, and car loan interest.
Democrats argue Trump’s massive bill would also include reductions in Medicaid, food stamps, and green energy strategies.
Closed my eyes to think about an America where everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.
Debbie Dingell
Dingell eventually came to it later in the meeting when she spoke about the understaffing in nursing homes.
“Chronic understaffing continues in nursing homes and the elderly and disabled Americans living in nursing homes have suffered as a result,” she said.
“In fact, people have died. We saw too many stories coming out of Covid where people have died.
“Our long-term care system is broken.”
